Helena Joyce
California has a Gross Polluter Buyout program for older cars that are deemed to be grossly polluting. If your car is a gross polluter, you will be required to smog test at a Star Test-Only station every year, and your DMV fees may increase. You can choose to fix the problem yourself and then have your car retested at a state-approved facility. California also offers financial assistance to low-income owners to help them repair their vehicles and bring them into compliance with emissions limits.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Vehicles that are gross polluters | Anything between 1975-2003 |
| Smog test requirement | Every year at a Star Test Only station |
| Visual inspection | Excessive smoke |
| Registration | Cannot be obtained until the vehicle passes the smog test |
| Repair cost waiver | Valid repair cost waiver is exempted from the roadside auditing program |
| Emission tests | Alternative loaded mode emission tests |
| Emission reductions | Remote sensing-based program that identifies gross polluting vehicles |
| Vehicle retirement program | Cash-For-Clunkers Rebate |
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What You'll Learn
California Gross Polluter Buyout Requirements
California has a Gross Polluter Buyout program, also known as a car scrappage or old vehicle buyback program, which provides monetary incentives to vehicle owners to voluntarily retire their older, more polluting vehicles. This program is intended to encourage the timely removal of these vehicles from California roadways and replace them with newer, cleaner vehicles or alternative transportation options.
Owners of gross polluters can apply to the Bureau of Auto Repair (BAR) for a letter of approval to scrap the vehicle. Once they turn in the vehicle at a BAR-approved dismantler and receive proof that it has been scrapped, they receive a payment of $1,000 to $1,500. It is important to note that the vehicle must be in your name to qualify for the buyout program.
If your vehicle has failed a smog check, you may be able to fix the issue and have it retested at a state-dictated facility. For example, if the failure was due to excessive smoke, you can address the cause and then have it retested. However, once a vehicle is flagged as a gross polluter, it will be in the Gross Polluter program permanently, and you will be required to undergo smog tests at a Star Test-Only station every year.
It is worth mentioning that California also offers financial assistance to low-income owners to help with repairs that bring their vehicles into compliance with the emissions limits for their model year.
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Smog Check Failures
Smog checks are required in California for cars built after 1975, when the first catalytic converters were installed on new cars. If your vehicle fails its smog check, you will receive a printout showing the reasons for its failure. This could be due to excessive smoke or oil burning, for example.
Once your vehicle has been identified as a gross polluter, you will be required to undergo a smog test at a Star Test-Only station annually, and your DMV fees may increase. You can choose to fix the issue yourself, but the vehicle must then be retested at a state-approved facility.
If your vehicle was built between 1975 and 2003, it will likely need to undergo a 'sniffer test' in addition to being plugged into OBD2. Vehicles from this era are more likely to be flagged as high polluters, so it is important to keep them well-maintained to ensure they remain compliant.
California offers financial assistance to low-income owners to help with repairs that will bring their vehicle into compliance with emissions limits for its model year. This can help owners avoid the government buyback program, which offers a capped amount for older cars deemed to be gross polluters.
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Vehicle Retirement Program
The California Bureau of Automotive Repair's Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) offers eligible consumers repair assistance and vehicle retirement options to help improve California's air quality. The Old Car Buy Back and Scrap Program is available in Antelope Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Luis Obispo County, the Mojave Desert, and Ventura County.
The Vehicle Retirement Program has two options:
- The first option offers $1,500 to eligible applicants.
- The second option offers $2,000 to eligible applicants.
To be eligible for the Vehicle Retirement Program, your vehicle must be subject to the Smog Check Program and pass an inspection at a BAR-contracted dismantler. The dismantler will verify that your vehicle meets the following operational and equipment requirements:
- You can drive your vehicle under its own power to the dismantler site.
- Your vehicle's engine starts through ordinary means.
- Your vehicle's engine starts without using starting fluids or external booster batteries.
- Your vehicle's drivability is not affected by any body, steering, or suspension damage.
- Your vehicle is able to drive forward a minimum of 10 yards under its own power.
- Your vehicle's interior pedals are operational.
Additionally, your vehicle must have been registered with the DMV without a lapse in registration for more than 120 days during the two consecutive years preceding the current registration expiration date. It should not be registered outside of California and must have a valid and unexpired registration sticker.
If your vehicle does not meet the eligibility requirements for the Vehicle Retirement Program, you may consider other options to repair, retire, or replace your vehicle.
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Repair and Retest Requirements
If your vehicle is identified as a gross polluter, you are required to have it repaired at a Gold Shield Station and certified at a Test-Only station or authorised Gold Shield Station.
Test-Only Stations are privately-owned Smog Check stations licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) to inspect and certify most vehicles, including gross polluters. They can perform oil changes and lubrication services but are prohibited from providing any repair services. This means there is no incentive to fail vehicles for the purpose of offering fraudulent repairs.
If your vehicle fails the Test-Only inspection, it must undergo repairs and return to a Test-only, Referee or CAP (Consumer Assistance Repair) station for certification.
If you cannot afford to make repairs, there are three options under the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) that offer some temporary financial relief.
It is important to note that once a vehicle is classified as a Gross Polluter, it must be tested annually at a Star Test-Only station, and your DMV fees may increase.
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Financial Assistance for Low-Income Owners
California has a number of financial assistance programs for low-income owners of "gross polluter" vehicles. The state's Gross-Polluter Vehicle Retirement Program offers financial incentives to encourage the removal of these vehicles from the road. Owners of gross polluters can apply to the Bureau of Auto Repair (BAR) for a letter of approval to scrap the vehicle. Upon turning in the vehicle at a BAR-approved dismantler and receiving proof of scrapping, owners receive a payment of $1,000 to $1,500. Air-quality advocates are pushing for this bounty to be increased to $2,000 per car.
California also offers financial assistance to low-income owners to repair their vehicles to bring them into compliance with emissions limits for their model year. The Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) is a BAR program that provides financial assistance to low-income individuals for repair costs and vehicle retirement. To be eligible for the CAP repair assistance, your gross household income must be less than or equal to 225% of the Federal poverty level, and you must be the registered owner of the vehicle. Additionally, your vehicle must have failed its biennial Smog Check inspection, and you must pay the STAR test-and-repair station co-payment.
For low-income individuals, the Consumer Assistance Program can also help cover the cost of repairs or pay you to retire your old vehicle. If you failed your smog check and qualify for the Consumer Assistance Program, you may be eligible for a 2-year smog check waiver. To check your eligibility or apply online, visit the Repair Assistance website.
In addition to vehicle-related financial assistance programs, California offers the Single-Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants program, also known as the Section 504 Home Repair program. This program provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their homes, and grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards. To qualify for a grant, the applicant must be 62 or older. Eligibility for repair assistance considers the applicant's age, household income, and Total Debt (TD) ratio. Applicants are encouraged to go through an informal prequalification process to determine if the repair program is a good fit for them.
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Frequently asked questions
If your car is labelled a gross polluter, you will be required to smog test at a Star Test-Only station every year, and your DMV fees may increase.
You can fix the issue yourself and then have it retested at a state-approved facility. Alternatively, you can look into California's government buyback program for older cars, or the financial assistance program for low-income owners.
To avoid your car being labelled a gross polluter, make sure to keep it in good condition, especially if it's a model that is known to be a high polluter.
Cars built before 1995 are more likely to be labelled gross polluters as they didn't have to meet the same emissions standards as newer cars. Cars built before 1976 are exempt from smog checks.
